Centrifugal propeller



Jan. 29 l924.- 3,482,196

0. c. KETRING ET AL CENTRIFUGAL PROPELLER Filed May 14 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 29 1924. 1,482,196 O. C. KETRING ET AL CENTRI FUGAL PROPELLER Filed May 14 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qwvantovb 0C. WW

Patented Jan. 29, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORLANDO C. KETBING AND J'A'COB LE ROY KETRING, OF PORTLAND, INDIANA.

CENTBIFUGAL PRQPELLER.

Application flledliay 14, 1923. Serial No. 638,772.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ORLANDO C. KET- RING and JACOB LE Roy KnrmNo, both citizens of the United States, residing in the city of Portland, in the county of J a State of Indiana, have invented a new an useful Centrifu al Propeller, of which the following is a ull, clear, and comprehensive specification and exposition, the same being such as will enable others to construct and use the same.

The object of our present invention, broadly speaking, is to provide a centrifugal propeller which will be simple in character, strong and durable in construction, easily operated and controlled, comparatively light in weight, efficient in practice, and which can be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low price. p

More specifically stated, our object is to provide a propeller for boats or water-craft, whereby a constant and unvarying propelling power may be applied and controlled and, if desired, constantly maintained, and

by which the boat or the like ma be operated either forwardly or rearwar ly without the reversal of the engine or motor and whereby the reversal of the propeller may be instantly accomplished by a single movement by the operator.

Other objects and particular advantages of the invention will be brought out in the course of the following description, and that which is new will be correlated in the appended claims.

The invention comprises a power plan-t, as a motor or engine; a centrifugal driver or generator; and the propeller proper by which a column of water of great velocity is directed against the water in which the boat is floated.

The preferred means for carryingout the priiiciples of our invention in a practical manner is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of our invention as assembled in connection with a gasoline engine or motor.

Figure 2 is a topplan view of the same. Figure 3 is a contact face view of the centrifugal pump or generator, the rearward parts bein removed therefrom. Figure 4 is a centra vertical section of the propeller mechanism. Figure 5 is an inside face viewof the propeller parts in elevation. Figure 6 is a cross section of the propeller, as

taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5. Figure 7 Lean outside view of the controller or valve. Flgure 8 is a cross section, as taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7. Figure 9 is another outside view of the controller valve, as taken at right-angles to Fig. 7. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the valve core. Figure 11 is a cross section of the valve core and its cylinder, indicating the upward movement of water therethrough. And Figure 12 is a cross section of the valve core and the cylinder, indicating the downward movement of water therethrough.

Similar indices denote like parts throughout the several views.

In order that the construction, the operation, and the several advantages of our invention may be more fully understood and appreciated We will now take up a detailed description thereof, in which we will set forth the same as fully and as comprehensively as We may.

With the main portion 1 of the motor we are not particularly concerned in this invention, as it is of ordinary construction and operation, and the type of motor may be changed as desired.

However said motor has a driving or power shaft 2, by which the centrifugal pump or generator is rotated, as hereinafter explained.

Our invention is to be carried by the rear portion or end of a boat, represented by numeral 3. A pair of screw clamps 4 (one on each side) are formed integral with the lower portion of the motor 1, and by which the motor is removably secured to the part 3 of a boat, as shown in Fig. 1. Said clamps are disposed at an angle, corresponding to the angle of the part 3, whereby the motor is held relatively horizontal in operative position as shown in Fig. 1.

Rigidly secured to the rear end of the motor, and concentric of the shaft 2, is the pum or generator case 5, in which is the centri ugal rotator 6, a portion of which is shown in Fig. 3, but We make no claim thereto, as this is also of ordinary construction.

In the center of the rear of the case 5 is a rearwardly directed round contact face 7, concentric with which is an intake opening, shown in Fig. 3, through which water may be drawn to the center of the rotator and therefore into the center of the case 5.

Extending down from the periphery of the lower portion ofthe case 5 is a projection 8, having a rearwardly directe face 9, through which is the angular dischan'ge aperture 10, which connects with the interior of the case 5 near the periphery of the rotator 6.

The fittin s11 are carried by the periphery of t e case 5 and connect with the interior thereof, and they are connected with the pipes 12, the other ends of said pipes being connected into the water jacket of the motor, and through which water is circulated around the movable parts of the motor.

Formed by a single casting are the intake hood 13, the two-way box 14, and the valve or controller casing or cylinder 15, all arranged substantially vertical with relation to each other.

The inlet hood 13 has a face 16, which is adapted to fit in contact with the face 7,

where they are secured together, as by screws or bolts 17. The interior 18 of the hood 13 opens into the central portion of the casing 5, through the aperture inside the.

face 7, and at its lower end the interior 18 opens into the space 19 which latter passes through the box 14 and opens into the cylinder 15.

An outlet space 20 is also formed in the box 14, which registers with the aperture 10. Said box 14 has a projecting flange forming a face 21 which is adapted to be secured to the face 9 by means of screws or bolts inserted through apertures in the faces 9 and 21.

The lower end of the space 20 opens into the interior of the cylinder 15, to one side of the space 19, asin Fig. 4.

Integral with and extending down from the underside of the cylinder 15 is a projection 22. which has a partition 23 extending vertically therethrough, thereby forming passage-ways 24 and 25 extending from the interior of cylinder 15. The passage-way 24 being directly opposite the space 19. and the passage-way 25 being directly opposite the space 20. substantially as shown.

A flange 26 extends out from the lower end of the projection 22.

Finally, secured to the lower end of the projection 22, is the discharge head, comprising an upper portion 27 whose upper end carries a flange 28 which contacts with the flange 26 and to which is it secured by bolts 29. The lower portion of said head forms a horizontal bottom 30. The said head tapers down latterly, and tapers upward forwardly and rearwardly, substantially as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. A vertical partition 31 connects with the partition 23 and it extends down to the bottom 30, thereby forming two compartments 32 and 33, as shown. A forwardly directed nozzle portion 34 opens from the compartment 32;

.to the partition 38 and the end 36, and it projects out some distance from the latter, whereby the core maybe turned.

The front end of the cylinder 15'has a solid or closed head40, in the center of which is an aperture through which may project the shaft 39, and around which is a packingbox or gland 41. The rear end of the cylinder is adapted to be closed by the cap plate 42, which is removably bolted thereto as shown.

Secured on the projecting portion of the shaft 39 is an arm 43, and pivoted to said arm is the link 44. Numeral 45 denotes the control lever, which is mounted near its center on the pivot bolt 46. And the upper end of the link 44 is pivoted to the rear end of the lever 45, whereby the raising and lowering of the forward end of the lever 35 will rotate the said core, for the purposes-hereinafter explained.

In practice it is evident that the revolving of the rotator 6 at a high rate of speed will, after bein primed, cause suction of water through tile space 18 into the interior of the case 5, andcause it to discharge out through the aperture 10, therefore to control the flow of water in order to accomplish the results desired is the purpose of the rotatable core, and this is attained as follows: The peripheral surface of the core is adapted to slide in contact with the interior wall of the cylinder 15, there being a plurality of openings through the surface of the core,

the same being arranged in pairs laterally with relation to each other, said openings being adapted to register with the opening in the lower apertures 19 and 20, and 24 and 25, and certain portions of the face of the core are adapted to close said apertures 19-20 and 2425. Therefore it is evident that when the faces A and B are directly upward, or downward, they will close the lower ends of the spaces 19 and 20, respectively, or the upper ends of the spaces 24 and 25, respectively, thereby preventing the flow of water to or from the pump, therefore there would be no propelling agent at work. Then if the core be turned whereby it will stand as in Figs. 11 and 12, it is evident that the water may pass upward from the compartment 32, through the passage denoted by the arrows a in Fig. 11; and at the same time it may flow downward from the space 20 into the compartment 33, passing through the passage-way denoted by the arrows 6 in Fig. 12, thereby permitting the pump to draw water in through the nozzle 34 and discharge it through the nozzle 35, thereby driving the boat forward.

Now if the core be turned to position whereby the faces C and D, Fig. 7, will be directly upward then the face C will be about half-way over the lower end of the space 19 and the face D will be about halfway over the lower end of the space20, then the intake and the discharge of water, with relation to the nozzles, will be reversed that is to say: The water will enter through the nozzle 35 (as this will finally lead to the intake of the pump) passing upward it will enter the opening F engage the closed side of D, then will pass to the right through the notch 50 in the partition 38, to the baffle 49 from which it will pass upward past the open side of the face G into the space 19, and from there to the intake of the pump. At the same time the water from the pump will enter the space 20. pass down past the open side of the face D into the space F where itwill encounter the battle 47 and be directed through the notch G into the space E, and from there will pass into the passage 24 to the compartment 32, and then out through the nozzle 34. thereby causing the two streams of water to cross each other in the core, by which the intake and the dis charge of the nozzles will be reversed but without reversing the motor, and thereby causing the boat to travel rearward, but of course at a reduced rate of speed, as the volume of water passing through the core is partly cut down by reason of the faces C and D.

\ The steering device comprises a. bracket 48 secured to and extending back from the lower portion of the head 13, and it carries a bearing 49 in which is rotatably mounted the shaft 50, the lower end of said shaft being pivoted in the bearing 51 which extends upward from the nozzle 35. A blade 52 extends back from the shaft to which it is secured. Steering-arms 53 and Mare secured to the upper end of the shaft 50, and they extend opposite to each other and at right angles to the blade 52.

In practice the boat 3 floats in a body of Water, with the water level at approximately the flanges 28 and 29. The entire device is secured to the rear end of the boat by the clamps t which function by means of the clamp screws 55. v

If now the motor be started, as by turning the crank 56, it is evident that the pump, after being primed through the primer 57, will revolve the rotator 6 at a high rate of speed, causing the water to be drawn, from the body of water in which the boat floats, through one of the nozzles and discharged through the other nozzle, the discharge of water through the nozzle 85 will cause the boat to be pushed forward at the speed desired, the speed depending on the degree to which the core in the cylinder is turned to open the ports for forward movement.

\Vhen the direction is reversed, that is when the boat is being driven rearward, the maximum speed will be about one-half that of the forward movement, as the ports can then only be half opened, as herein set forth. By attaching ropes to the outer ends of the arms 53 and 54 and extending them forward to the boat, it is evident that the boat can be steered to the left by pulling on the arm 53, and can be turned to the right by pulling on the arm54. \Vhen both arms are released, and the boat is being propelled forward, the "boat will move directly forward without manipulating the steering device, as the dischargethrough the nozzle striking the lower portion of the blade will cause the blade to extend directly rearward unless this inclination is ovi ercome by a 3 person pulling on one of said a ms.

The predominant feature of our invention resides in the propulsion of boats by the discharge of water under great velocity into the body of water in which the boat floats whereby the boat is propelled in a direction oppositeto that of the water being discharged.

lVe desire that it be understood that various changes may be made in the several details of construction without departing from the spirit of the intention and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof which are new and useful.

Having now fully shown and described our invention. what we claim, and desire to.

secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. Means for propelling boats comprising a centrifugal pump, a motor for rotating the pump, means for securing the device to the rear end of a boat, a forwardly directed nozzle and a rearwardly directed nozzle bot-h located below the. surface of the water in which the boat floats, means for conduct ing water through one of said nozzles to the intake of the pump by the suction of the pump, means for conducting the water from the pump out through the other nozzle under pressure of the pump, and means for changing the intake and' outlet of water from one to the other of said nozzles without changing the flow of the water through the pump.

2. A propeller for boats comprising a centrifugal pump, a motor for rotating the pump in one direction only, an intake hood connected'with the interior of the central portion of the pump, a two-way box integral with said hood, a cylinder connected with said box, a projection extending down from said cylinder and directly opposite to said two-w'ay box, a vertical partition dividing the interior of said projection, a head extending down from said projection and having a bottom at its lower end, a vertica'hpartition dividing said head and extending from the first named partition to said bottom and dividing the head into a forward and a rearward compartment each having an opening which openings are directed forward and rearward, respectively, and a core rotatable in said cylinder to control the flow of water to and from said openings in the head.

3. A propeller for boats comprising a pump, means for operating the pump, a cylinder spaced from the pump, means for conducting water between the cylinder and both the intake pump, a head located below the cylinder and adapted to convey water both upward and downward at the same time, a core rotatably mounted in said cylinder and adapted to be turned to change the direction of flow of the water through said head, all substantially as shown.

4. A propeller for boats comprising a pump for drawing water thereto and forcing it therefrom, a cylinder located below said pump, a double nozzle head located below the cylinder, there being a channel entering the head from the rear and extending upward to the intakeor the discharge of said pump, there also being a second channel entering the head from the front and extending upward to the intake or the discharge of said pump, a core rotatable in said cylinder and adapted, when turned in one position, to permit the two streams of water to extend therethrough paralled with each other or when turned to another position to cause said streams of water to cross each other and by which and the discharge of the.

when turned to still another position will shut ofi' both streams of water.

5. In combination with a pum and means for operating the pump, a he forming two nozzles which are directed in opposite directions to each other, means for conducting water from one of said nozzles to the intake of the pump, means for conducting water from the other one of said nozzles to the discharge of the pump, a valve located intermediate said nozzles and the pump, the core of said valve being adapted to be turned to permit two streams of water to flow therethrough in directions opposite to each other or when turned to another position will cause said streams of Water to cross each other therein, whereby the two streams of water may be reversed as to the intake or the discharge of the nozzles Without changing the direction of the How of water into or from the pump, all substantially as shown and described.

6. A construction of the nature set forth including a cylinder having an inlet and an outlet at the top and an inlet and an outlet at the bottom, a core rotatably mounted in said cylinder, said core being formed to permit two streams of water to flow through the cylinder at one time in directions opposite to and parallel with each other, said core also having means to cause two streams of water to cross each other therein, and also said core having means for shutting off the flow of both streams of water therethrough, and means whereby said core may be rotated.

ORLANDO C. KETRIN G. JACOB LE ROY KETRING. 

